Individually Structured Programs (BA or BSc)

Honours or Specialization

Under the direction of the academic advisor, Faculty of Arts and Science.

Admission

Opportunities are available in some departments and programs to follow an Individually Structured Specialization or Honours program. Students must apply to the Department that seems most relevant to the central aspect of their proposed program. Students in general must have demonstrated in their previous academic endeavours that they are capable of good standing (“B” level), but in exceptional cases a student may be admitted provisionally on the recommendation of the departmental undergraduate coordinator.

Formal entry to the ISP may occur only after completion of preparatory courses such as are required in Mature Entry and Extended Credit programs. Students wishing to follow an honours program must follow the Faculty procedures and regulations concerning admission to honours programs. (See Degree Requirements — Honours, Section 16.2.4 Concentration Requirements and Section 31.003 Degree Requirements.)

Students interested in pursuing an Individually Structured Program should contact the academic advisor, Faculty of Arts and Science, at 514‑848‑2424, ext. 2104.

Academic Regulations

The program will consist of not less than 60 credits. The courses chosen must be based on a departmental or program core, usually the major, but not less than 24 credits. Students will thus be required to complete necessary prerequisites, and general preparation courses such as Research Methods or Statistics, so that they may later follow a regular departmental program if they so desire.

A specialization student must maintain an average of “C+” in all specialization courses for purposes of continuation in the program from year to year, as well as for graduation. The minimum acceptable grade in any single specialization course is “C‑.”

The program of study must be worked out at the time of registration into the program. Admission to the program must be finalized before a student registers for the final 60 credits of the 90‑credit portion of their degree. To allow for the non‑availability of certain courses during certain sessions, allowable substitute courses must be listed in advance. Such substitution provisions will be necessary only in the case of specialized courses that are known not to be available on a session by session basis. The intention of this regulation is to assure that the program does not become an ad hoc mixture of courses without clearly rationalized academic coherence.

Students must prepare a careful, not necessarily long, statement of their goals indicating the specific reasons for their program choice. The rationale and the sequence of courses chosen must be approved by the two departmental program coordinators and the Associate Dean, Student Academic Services.